"It also means the team can carry a drugs detection dog at all times ,"explained Chief Inspector Tom Ewing, officer in charge of the department, "allowing it to be deployed in any circumstances where it is thought that drugs might be found.

"And more so," he went on, "the presence of two officers means that a pro-active Dog Unit is in place here in Fife for the first time, whereas before it was a reactive resource only sent to calls when a dog was specifically required."

So what do the dogs themselves think of the new facility? "Perhaps they might have preferred a Rover," laughed Jaeger's handler PC Cammy Thomson, "but we feel sure that it won't be too long until other Forces are following their lead."

To bring criminals to justice. Fife Constabulary have just introduced two specially-adapted Ford Focus Estate cars each designed to accommodate two Police Dogs, a handler and a member of the Force's road policing department, all aimed at improving Force response to incidents in all corners of the Kingdom.